July 27 – August 9, 2015
“… the ways by which men arrive at knowledge of the celestial things are hardly less wonderful than the nature of these things themselves”
— Johannes Kepler
Mt. Washington — While we look with wonder under dark Berkshire skies at constellations like Cygnus the Swan – more about Cygnus below – we join the world in marveling at images received from space telescopes. News of two phenomenal NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) initiatives peaked during the week of July 20.
Pictures and analysis from the July 14th New Horizons Pluto flyby were long anticipated. Click here for our earlier report on New Horizons.
Added to the excitement of that scientific achievement, which took human eyes 3.5 billion miles to the edge of our solar system, came the announcement of the discovery of a possible earthlike planet 1,400 light years away. One light year is 6 trillion miles.
The planet, known as 452b, is also confidently called Earth 2.0. It was identified by researchers analyzing data received from the Kepler space telescope that was launched in 2009 to survey part of our Milky Way Galaxy for exoplanets. Orbiting 64 million miles above Earth, Kepler has discovered 1,030 planets to date. A dozen are orbiting within the “habitable zone” around other stars. Earth 2.0 is the best of these.
As described by Space.com in 2009, “The mission’s science instrument, called a photometer, contains the largest camera ever flown in space. Its 42 charge-coupled devices (CCDs) will detect slight dips in starlight, which occur when planets passing in front of their stars partially block the light from Kepler’s view.” Click here for more information on the search for exoplanets.
When we locate the constellation Cygnus the Swan we will be looking at the region of the sky under study by the Kepler mission! Cygnus is part of the star-rich Milky Way, the band of star-studded light that arcs across the sky. The Swan’s tail star, Deneb, is one of the three bright stars that compose the Summer Triangle. (For a previous Eyes to the Sky account of the Summer Triangle, click here.) The wings of the swan stretch across the line of the body just beyond the tail. Follow the body and long neck further inside the great triangle to the star at Cygnus’ head, Albireo.
On July 30 and 31 the moon will be below the Summer Triangle all night. This year, we enjoyed a full moon on the first day of July and experience an encore on the last day of the month. The encore is known as a Blue Moon, for the relative rarity of the occasion. Moonrise occurs at 8:14 p.m. on the 31st.
Mind and spirit expand when we look to the sky with naked (unaided) eyes; our feet on the ground, we receive the inspiring light of the moon, planets and stars in twilight or darkness. The instruments scientists have designed to bring human eyes and perception to the edges of our solar system and into the cosmos are contributing to our capacity for knowledge, awe and connection to the natural world beyond ourselves.
Special Opportunity for all ages:
August 4 at Tanglewood, 2 – 11 p.m., Springfield STARS astronomy club conducts safe solar viewing through telescopes during the day as well as stargazing at night as a part of Tanglewood on Parade. Follow lane directly inside the Main Gate. Four types of telescopes will be available, including a handicapped accessible scope. Knowledgeable guides share their expertise. Three slide shows. Engaging activities for children. Go to: https://www.reflector.org/programs.php
–Alan Rifkin, president and inventor of the Solar Finder.
Resources:
Citizen participation invited: https://setiathome.berkeley.edu/
https://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/breakthrough-listen-a-giant-leap-for-seti/
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/newhorizons/images/index.html
https://theberkshireedge.com/eyes-to-the-sky-pluto-here-we-come/
